9th year defenseman Josh Jacobs(41) helps Chicago Wolves win the 2022 AHL Calder Cup, while under contract to Carolina Hurricanes and moves along to sign a new deal for 2022/2023 with 2022 Stanley Cup Champions, Colorado Avalanche, but will likely skate for affiliate Colorado Eagles.
The fairly sizable 6’2″ 220 lbs. blue liner had an interesting climb from 2 USHL seasons for Indiana Ice, including a 2014 Clark Cup Championship, followed by a year at home state Michigan State University Spartans, but traded that to skate a campaign further up north in the OHL with Sarnia Sting.
An unrestricted free agent, he signed a 3-year NHL entry level deal with New Jersey Devils to start his pro career and stayed in that system for 5 years.
He is very successful with his new club, hitting for 4 goals and 6 assists in 43 AHL games with a +10 ratings, then put up another 4 points in 7 matchups through the playoffs.
For 2023/2024, he scores himself a 1-year 2-way contract with St. Louis Blues that could heed some playing time, but mostly will skate the line for affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds.
He wasn’t able to add to his 341 games in the league due to an injury that sidelined him for the entire frame.
For 2024/2025, Laval Rocket takes a chance and signs him to a 1-year deal.
He only appears in 24 games, but scores 1 goal and 4 assists with a +3 rating and gets another 1-year deal to stay a Rocket for 2025/2026.
Niagara University Purple Eagles‘ senior right wing Casey Carreau(22) signs a 1st pro deal upon getting force out of the Atlantic Hockey playoffs with Kansas City Mavericks.
The 5’9″ 185 lbs. forward scored a goal and an assist for a 5-2 win in his ECHL debut, then went on to grab assists in his next 4 games.
He’s played in 9 contests.
The Acushnet, MA native transferred after 3 what we view as decent campaigns at Boston College Eagles, leaving with a best 6 goals and 6 assist in 36 games.
In a college most games played 40, he had a new high 10 goals and 21 assists with a +2 rating.
A massive scorer through high school, the 24-year old may have found his footing once again, spurred on by a successful last year in school.
In his 2nd season, he scores a new best 3 goals and 14 assists with a +1 rating to earn another season skating for the Mavericks.
He blows up scoring with 21 goals and 36 assists in 64 games with a +32 rating, then adds 11 points in 15 playoff matchups.
For a 3rd season, he will live in Kansas City.
After attending Northeastern University Huskies for a graduate season after 4 at the closer to home Michigan State University Spartans, defenseman Tommy Miller(12) signs a 1st pro contract for his rookie season with Toronto Marlies 2022/2023, but will likely start the season with affiliate Newfoundland Growlers.
The 6’2″ 196 lbs. had 8 assists and 9 points in tough Hockey East play last session with a +5 rating.
He mostly played 2 campaigns of USNTDP before committing to school.
The 23-year old from West Blomfield, MI will likely find room to assist goals and keep opponents from scoring in the ECHL.
He splits time between the 2 teams in his rookie season, but does well enough to earn an AHL spot for last season and answers with 1 goal and 4 assists in 44 games with a +2 rating, then had 2 assists with a +2 in a pair of playoff matchups, which easily has him returning to the Marlies.
For 2025/2026, he signs a 1-year deal with Syracuse Crunch.
University Of Michigan sophomore center William Whitelaw(8) takes a new college best 11 goals and 18 points to a new NHL entry level contract with draft team Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 5’9″ 174 lbs. forward scored crazy point-per-game numbers in his only full USHL year before school.
From Rosemount, MN, the 20-year old, freshman at University Of Wisconsin Badgers seems ready to go pro.
Providence Bruins‘ undrafted 4th year right wing Wayne Simpson(21) is having himself a career year and that’s after only being with the team on a pto to start.
Signed to an spc one month in, he already has 7 goals and 11 assists with a +10 rating in 22 AHL games, which is only one tally off his season high set last year with Portland Pirates and may even eclipse the 28 helpers he dished in 2015/2016.
The 5’11” 194 lbs. forward was a solid performer on the stat sheet in his final three years at Union College grabbing 30+ points per campaign and a pair of NCAA/ECAC Championships in 2012 and 2013.
He started his pro career with two seasons for South Carolina Stingrays playing 131 ECHL games, scoring 22 goals as a rookie and a best 39 assists, 55 points as a sophomore skater and a +19 rating.
In an almost unprecedented move, when postseason rolled around he blew the lid off the score sheet grabbing a league high 25 assists, 38 points and +20 rating losing the 2015 Kelly Cup Championship in game 7.
At 27-years old a guy that’s had to continuously prove himself and earn every inch he’s got looks to just be getting started and may even play his way into a first big league contract for 2017/2018.
After a 6th season with ERC Ingolstadt of continued scoring and some 276 games in DEL, he decides at age 35, it’s time to adopt a new role.
UMASS-Lowell Riverhawks‘ graduate right wing Nick Granowicz(15) signs a 1st pro deal with Savannah Ghost Pirates after 4 goals and 4 assists in 25 games last season.
The 6’1″ 183 lbs. forward transferred from 4 years at University Of Michigan Wolverines, where he always seemed to put up similar numbers and played a college best 36 games as a senior.
He is also a +24 rating, so has good on ice accountability.
In 5 ECHL games, the Macomb, MI native has 3 goals (2 in his debut) and is a +3 rating.
The 26-year old should get re-signed by this non-playoff team for 2024/2025 in a second.
Yup, he’s going to return for his official rookie year to wear at Ghost Pirates‘ uniform.
He appears in a full slate of 72 games, scoring a nice 12 goals and 17 assists with a +4 rating to earn a new contract to stick around for more in 2025/2026 with Savannah.
Colgate University Raiders‘ junior center Ryan McGuire(11) enters the transfer portal to skate Hockey East at Northeastern University Huskies for his senior year, 2024/2025.
The 6’2″ 183 lbs. forward scored a college best (by a mile) 14 goals and 12 assists in 34 games with a +5 rating.
From Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, QC, the 21-year old played his high school hockey at Belmont Hill, so has come back.
He scores 4 goals and 3 assists in 37 games, which he takes to an ato with Iowa Heartlanders and he connects for 5 goals and 1 assists in 8 ECHL games.
For his rookie season, Iowa Wild were paying attention to sign him for 2025/2026 to a 1-year, 2-way deal.
RPI Engineers‘ senior left wing Jack Brackett(22) had a college best 6 goals and 11 assists in 35 games with a +4 rating.
The 5’10” 181 lbs. forward signs a 1st pro contract with Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
He connects as a pro with 5 goals and 2 assists in 15 ECHL games.
From Manassas, VA, the 24-year old needs a new contract for his rookie season, 2025/2026.
He grabs a new deal to stay a Rabbits for 2025/2026.
American International College Yellowjackets‘ graduate right wing Austen Long(4) takes a college high 38 games played, 8 goals, 8 assists and 16 points with a 5-year +21 rating to a 1st pro contract with Fayetteville Marksmen, where through 1 playoff game, he has yet to score a point, but we have to think he’s right on the cusp.
The 5’11” 175 lbs. forward skated 4 years of juniors and won a 2017 USHL Clark Cup Championship with Chicago Steel.
From Omaha, NE, the 26-year old is likely just getting started.
After a 36 game season, scoring 7 goals and 7 assists, he gets an invite to return to the Marksmen for 2025/2026.
American International College Yellowjackets‘ 2022/2023 commit, center John Lundy(21) is likely ready to get started after posting a 2nd year, career best (by a mile) 32 goals and 25 assists in 60 NAHL games with a +23 rating for Jamestown Rebels.
The small-is 5’9″ 163 lbs. forward had very good scoring numbers the couple of seasons he played in the New Jersey Avalanche system.
The 21-year old may not step right into the Atlantic Hockey lineup, but he’ll easily work for every inch.
After a junior season of 10 goals and 10 assists through 37 games, his team decides to dial down for next season, so he jumps through the transfer portal to next play for Ferris State University Bulldogs, as a senior in 2025/2026.
